Hey Chris! The Story of the Early Risin's & Lena's Journalin'

What are You doing up so early?
Everyone be aware, when you reply to the e-mail that is dropped in your box, for it'll be sent to the whole list of recipients. Don't know if you knew that.
My husband Lance leaves here at 5:20 a.m., and he gets up each morning at 4:30 a.m . So I get up with him.
He worked 2nd shift for 17 years and I was a night owl as he got home at 1 am, then we'd sleep in. I was always so tired and never got to devotion times. Of course I was up w/ kids back then too. Excuses, excuses.
Anyway 4 years ago when we started as cell leaders at our church, it was requested that we journal each day to our Pastorally prescribed Daily Bread readings, asking God to speak out of His word for the day, to us personally and to expound it to us, some would call that getting the "Daily Rhema" to the daily word.
Being I'd said I was "All in" where cell leading and our church vision are concerned, and a I've purposed to be a disciple, not of my own leading, but by the guide of willful submission on my part to what others may say to do. I purposed to take instructions from leaders and make a way to get them done.
I was struggling a LOT over it. I was grumbling and complaining about it.
Cassia (pronounced - Casha) was like 2, if even; and I was already busy with everything in life and at church. I tried to excuse myself, justify myself . Say things like, I donlt HAVE to Journal to BE a disciple or cell leader...etc.
The following month we were at TL Osborne's conference in town, that our church helped host. There were like 4 beautiful Jamaican ladies present who carried a pure spirit (if you were there you saw them). as I rushed by them one time, heading back to set up food again for the leaders, which we did after each service. I was mentally grumbling about how much I had to do, getting up at 6 am to get there, staying up till midnight to make sure all was ready for the next day...they asked me if I had a moment? - Ew BOY! I politely said, "sure, yes, I do", and stopped in front of them.
They asked if I was the lady w/ 7 children and could they pray for me? I agreed and bowed my head enjoying the rest of that moment. The lady who prayed started out saying, "Bless her Lawd...Oh Lawd, I just see her journalin' and journalin. Ew Lawd, I see not only 1 journel, but, yes Lawd, Yes Lawd, I see 7 journals! "
(At THAT, my time my moment of res !). I was like, God, YOU know I can't even get 1 done, let alone 7!!! She proceeded to go down a checklist of mental grumblings and concerns I'd had, hitting on every one.....I melted away to the food service place....
As I went home that night, I was like GOD - OK, HOW? I asked for awhile, this time really looking for a way rather than grumbling to excuse myself from it.
My husband had changed shifts at work and it took him about a month to get adjusted, but I was not adjusting at all. He'd go to bed at 9 without me, as I'd still stay up till midnight. I heard the Lord tell me to start getting up when he does and He'll help adjust me that way if I was willing to change.
I decided I was willing and I moved towards the change, and within a week it was over. My old life of sleeping in was over. 4:30 was the new time to arise and I had 2 hours right there before the kids got up. Viola', Journalin' time it was! In hardly any time at all, my inward time clock completely changed! God's supernatural empowering grace in obedience to His word to me, was all over me. I hardly need but 5-6 hours of sleep still. It is so weird and cool.
In the past , if I'd only had 5 hours of sleep, I'd need a nap over that, but not now. It is amazing. Some days I go to bed at 9, but we have teenagers!
The Lord brought me across Blogger and I began to publish the Journal and the Holy Spirit began to have me use it as a way to plant seeds for others to get further understanding of the word and to make an avenue to fellowship over the daily word with others.
As for 7 Journals? One day He showed me what that meant as I asked my two teenage girls to start to journal, and my adult daughter was also journalin' to her daily bread readings, then our teenage son was asked to journal in his discipleship class.
Some of the girls in my cell group also decided to...it's called reproduction and multiplication.
It wasn't just me posting 700 + journal posts online and others on my computer before finding Blogger. It was others who were picking up the discipleship vision and decided to follow me, as I follow Christ. WOW!
Much Love to you All!
Lena